Originally published in the University Daily Kansan on Oct. 10, 2013
The season has been like a roller coaster for the Kansas soccer team. As soon as it seems like the Jayhawks have become more consistent or have momentum on their side, they can’t seem to find a way to score. This streak has continued on to the conference play, as the Jayhawks have remained scoreless through their first two Big 12 matches. The result is a 0-1-1 conference record, with a loss to Texas and a tie with Iowa State.
Friday, Kansas will host the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs at home for a chance to earn its first conference victory. Kansas is currently in sixth place, while TCU is tied for seventh. Coach Mark Francis stressed the importance of winning home conference games, and said earning a victory Friday, Kansas’ only game this weekend, is essential.
“We’ve put all our energy into the one game,” Francis said. “I thought we played really well on Sunday. We just have to be a little more efficient in the attacking third.”
TCU (4-6-3, 0-2-1) is also winless, and scoreless, in the conference season. TCU tied with Oklahoma State after two overtime periods during their last match. The Horned Frogs had 20 shots in that game, with four on goal. Junior goalkeeper Vittoria Arnold had five saves in the game and has an overall save percentage of 72.5 percent.
The Horned Frogs have been shut out in six matches this season. Their scoring leader is freshman forward Michelle Prokof, with six goals this season.
She has taken 26 shots, which is 23 percent of the team’s total. In TCU’s last victory, which was on Sept. 22 against Central Arkansas, Prokof scored three times.
“I think it’s a good matchup,” Francis said. “They are definitely more athletic than they were last year. They’re very organized, extremely feisty. We have to come out and compete.”
Kansas’ last victory was also on Sept. 22, against Illinois State. The team’s last goal came against Santa Clara on Sept. 27. With 16 minutes left in the match, sophomore midfielder Liana Salazar scored the goal off a free kick. Salazar is second on the team with three goals, and senior forward Caroline Kastor is first with four.
Despite being shut out the last two matches, the Jayhawks have had opportunities to score. In the last match against Texas, one of the best opportunities was off the head of sophomore midfielder Hanna Kallmaier. During a corner kick, Kallmaier sent a header that hit the left goal post.
Kansas is not lacking in shots. Junior midfielder Jamie Fletcher has had 40 shots so far, Salazar has 35 and Kastor has 34. Each of these players are in the top 10 in the Big 12 in number of shots taken.
“This Friday is going to come down to being more technical, more clinical,” Kastor said. “I think just playing with our heart and wanting it more than TCU. Especially in the Big 12, that’s the difference between each team, who wants it more. We definitely have the ability to do it, we just need to execute.”
Kansas will match up against TCU at 4 p.m. on Friday at home.
Stella Liang 